Much successful work has been done in the past few decades to create strong disaster preparedness programming around the world at the local, national and international levels. Similarly, much has been done to build national health systems, including preparing for pandemics. Yet these two efforts typically to run in parallel, rather than building off each other, leaving gaps in disaster preparedness and response for both health emergencies and natural disasters.

This workshop will provide an opportunity for government representatives, NGOs, and international organizations to explore disaster preparedness and health in planning for large scale emergencies. Leveraging successful best practices in disaster preparedness and examining new initiatives surrounding health emergencies, this workshop aims to provide participants with ideas and resources for their own programs on disaster preparedness or health system resilience.

This session looks at the nexus of health and emergencies, and participants are invited from all relevant fields, including those focused on resilient development, disaster preparedness and response, health systems capacity building, as well as medical professionals engaged in public health, clinical specialties, and mental health.

Co-sponsored by the Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine (CDHAM) and the International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS).